The New Orleans Class of 2015: What It Tells Us and What It Doesn’t

Hurricane Katrina led to the largest population displacement in the US since the Dust Bowl. Over one-third of the 450,000 displaced were children. What happened to them?

Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Huerta searches for citizens in distress after Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Aug. 29, 2005. Kyle Niemi/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images

Hurricane Katrina led to the largest population displacement in the United States since the Dust Bowl. Over one-third of the 450,000 Louisiana and Mississippi residents displaced from their homes were children.

What happened to these children? Where did they go? What has the disaster meant in their lives?

As researchers, we have explored the impact of catastrophic events on communities and children in numerous disasters—the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the H1N1 pandemic, the Joplin tornado, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and Hurricane Sandy, among others. We believe Katrina’s impact has been among the most profound.

We believe Katrina's impact has been among the most profound.